5 reasons your home needs a NAS drive

Wishing it was easier to back-up data from all your family's devices? A NAS drive could be the answer…

Network Attached Storage (aka NAS) drives do exactly as the name suggests. They plug into your home network,letting you access your files via the internet wherever you are – without the monthly fees that come with cloud storage.

Most people’s go-to is an external hard drive, but they aren’t as compatible with all the connected devices of today. See why you may prefer a NAS drive…

1. Great for storing and streaming movies

A NAS is the perfect companion for a Smart TV. Use it to store and organise digital movies and then seamlessly stream them to your connected TV, games console, laptop or tablet. Ideal for storing favourite films for family movie nights.

2. Create a central music library

With all your music stored in one safe place you’ve got instant access to your favourite tunes. Stream to your wireless audio system, listen through your television speakers or play through your smartphone.

3. Back-up everything to one place, with space to spare

Many households have more than one computer – and with a NAS drive you can back them all up to one secure place.

Store important work files, homework or any software like Photoshop with confidence. As long as you have internet access, files can be accessed from any location. So the kids have no excuse for forgetting their homework!

4. Sharing made simple

Transferring photos and videos from your smartphone to a computer or TV is a lot simpler with a NAS drive. Upload them to your NAS and then view the images on a much bigger screen. Plus you’ll free up space on your mobile device for your future snaps.

5. Stay in control of your data

If you’re worried about trusting your private data and backups to someone else – like with cloud storage – then NAS is an excellent option. It gives you peace of mind that you are in total control of who views your files.

It works like a cloud – a secure, wireless space to keep your data – but only you and those you choose to share your password with have access to it.

Back up multiple devices with a NAS drive

Sure you could use a portable external drive – but it will only connect to one device. The joy of a NAS is that all of your devices can be backed-up at once. And most allow for multiple users – perfect for families whose kids have just begun using laptops for schoolwork.

Try the WD My Cloud Home. Available in many different sizes, this neat little home cloud has all your storage needs covered. All versions automatically sync with multiple devices, while its 8TB version has a handy Mirror Mode which backs up to two drives for extra peace of mind.